Link's girls
by Insane. Certifiably
Summary: How did I get roped into writing ten one-shots for the LoZ girls? Read and find out. Warning: contains rabid fangirls and a catfight. rated k plus 'cause Tetra said one word. Now complete.
1. the catfight

**Warning: spoilers, though minor, for WW TP, and OoT.**

**Warning2: this story involves rabid fangirls, do not read if you are allergic.**

**Warning3: Do not read unless you have a sense of humor! You may not agree with some of the pairings in this argument. Please do not flame my story just because you don't like a certain pairing. I don't like some of the pairings in here (ex: LinkXDark Link), but they're only in there to make it silly.**

**Don't own Zelda.  
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><p>Navi and Saria walked in and took places at the table next to each other with little mishap. They are quickly followed by Nabooru and Midna.<p>

"Oops, sorry little, whatever you are," Nabooru apologized after sitting on Navi.

Navi shook out her ruffled wings and they waited for the rest of the company to arrive.

"How many more are coming?" Ruto asked, trying to find a seat away from Navi.

"Well, there's five more," Midna told the zora.

"How do you know that?" the princess asked.

Midna rolled her eyes. "I counted the chairs, fish-girl."

"Hey, no name calling until the actual catfi— um, debate begins," the authoress told the gathered females sternly.

Next to arrive was Ilia, followed by Malon. The two farm girls found seats next to each other, with Ilia on Navi's right, and began talking about horses.

Zelda was next to walk through the door. She sat on Saria's left, with the authoress between herself and Midna.

Tetra sauntered through and dropped into a chair on Nabooru's right, two seats away from Malon. "Am I late?" she asked.

"No," the authoress replied, "we're just waiting on one more."

As if he'd been waiting for this, Dark link strolled through the door. "Hey, girls, did I keep you waiting?" he asked.

"What are you doing here?" Saria snapped, "This is a meeting for Link's possible love interests!"

"Well then I'm in the right place," he shot back.

Guffaws were heard around the table. "You?" Midna asked, once she had regained the power of speech, "The idea that Link would fall for his shadow is beyond ludicrous. It's like falling in love with your reflection!"

Dark Link sulked. "Hey, I'm a person. And if you want to use that line, how is Tetra not Zelda? I mean, Sheik isn't here."

Eyes around the table turned to the pirate captain in question.

"Simple," she said, "I'm a separate person. Got a crew, a ship, a life. Didn't know I was heir to the throne of Hyrule until King what's-his-face told me so. Sheik was just you in disguise, princess."

Dark Link, his logic defeated, sulked against the wall.

"Dark, last warning," The authoress growled, "get out or you will be thrown out." She glanced around the table at the faces and smiled wickedly, "or worse, we won't throw you out."

Dark looked puzzled. "How is that worse?" he asked.

"This room is filled with girls," she reminded him, "who are about to be discussing their love interest."

Dark yawned. "Your point?"

"Think fangirls," the authoress prompted, "rabid fangirls."

Dark shot away from the wall so fast, it was like he'd been burned. "Oh gee, um look at the time. I have to run, I mean there's this meeting I have to attend and um—see you!" He left at high velocity.

Medli dropped out of the sky, out of breath. "I am so sorry," she told the circle, "I ran into a headwind on the way here and got held up and, did I keep you waiting?"

"Nah," Midna said, "we had a very interesting conversation with Dark Link while you weren't here. Kind of sad you missed it."

"Did anyone think to record it?" Medli asked, settling into the seat between Midna and Ruto.

"With what?" Ruto asked.

Medli shrugged.

The authoress glanced around the table. "It looks like everyone's here," she remarked. Around the table, going to her right were: Zelda, Saria, Weird ball of light, Ilia, Malon, Nabooru, Tetra, Ruto, Medli, and Midna. "I hereby declare this… debate? Meeting? Session? Well, whatever it is, it's starting now." She sat back down.

"Hey!" Navi cried, drawing the attention of everyone at the table, "I'll go first." She fluttered up into the air. "Link should be mine because I was actually with him the entire journey."

"Me too!" Midna interjected.

"Me three!" said the King of Red Lions.

"Go away, no one invited you!" yelled everyone at the table.

"As I was saying before I was interrupted," Navi resumed, glaring at Midna while pointedly ignoring both their unwanted visitor and the authoress making threatening gestures in his direction. "I was actually helpful and did something to aid Link on his quest."

"I did that too," King of Red Lions piped up.

The authoress pushed a few buttons on her control panel, which no one had noticed sitting on the table in front of her until now. A door appeared in the wall and the King of Red Lions went flying out it. This door led to a cliff, because the gathered persons could hear him screaming and crashing against the cliff the whole way down.

"I did something too!" Nabooru interjected, as if talking boats were pushed down cliffs every day in her world, "Link couldn't have sealed Ganondorf away if it wasn't for me!"

"I helped with that too AND he's actually my fiancé, which is more than the rest of you combined can say" Ruto spat, though that last part was more smug.

Saria puffed up at this. "Yeah, because you tricked him," she accused, "therefore it doesn't count. Plus you two," she pointed at Nabooru and Ruto, "needed to be rescued. I did not AND I helped with the sealing away AND I gave him one of the most-used items on his quest."

The authoress used her control panel to get herself a bowl of popcorn and leaned back, watching the catfight begin in earnest.

"You mean that cheap ocarina that he threw away three dungeons in?" Zelda asked the forest girl, "I'm the one who gave him the lasting item. Plus, I taught him all the songs for it!"

Malon laughed. "And that's all you did, princess, you taught him a song or two. Been there, done that. I taught him one of the most-used songs of all time. I gave him his horse. I taught him to ride."

"Hey! Listen!" Navi shrieked, "he used me for every single battle and let me tell you, there were a lot of them."

"Really?" Ruto said wonderingly, "I witnessed his battle with Morpha, and he wasn't reliant on you."

"No offense, midget ball of light," Midna began. She stopped and pretended to think for a moment. "No, scratch that, lots of offense, but I just can't see Link going for someone with such a size difference."

"Then what are you doing here?" Medli asked, "You're an imp! Oh, and Navi, you just confessed to being nothing more than an object in Link's eyes."

"Who are you calling an imp, bird brains?" Midna shot back. The Rito and Twili started having it out, catfight style, with Midna pummeling every inch of Medli she could reach and the bird-girl smacking the Twilight princess with her harp.

"This is my cursed form," Midna yelled, accentuating each word with another smack, "You want to see my true form?"

"You mean the one where you look like a s***?" Tetra asked.

Nabooru stopped making bets on who would win, the authoress stopped eating her popcorn, Medli and Midna stopped trying to kill each other, everyone stopped what they were doing to gape at Tetra's language.

"What?" she asked when she noticed them all staring, "I'm a pirate, we curse."

Link chose that moment to poke his head in. Well, less chose and more was-dragged-in-by-authoress-pushing-buttons-on-her-control-panel. He took one look at them all, particularly Midna, who'd frozen trying to kill Medli, and said bird-girl, who was taking advantage of the Twili's distraction to whack her a few times upside the head with her harp.

"Heylooklisten!" Navi yelled. Link ran for it. "As I was saying…"

"You're one of the most annoying characters of all time and it's a miracle that Link hasn't gone deaf from spending so much time in your company?" Saria offered.

"Yes, exactly," Navi said, then an instant later, "I mean no!"

"Make up your mind," Ilia complained.

"Didn't you lose your mind, ranch girl?" Nabooru asked the Ordonian.

"Memories, not mind," Ilia corrected, "and I got them back! At least I didn't do atrocious things!"

"You're both so lame," Ruto yawned, "I mean, one of you got shot in the butt with an arrow and lost her mind, the other got sucked into a whirlpool, put under a spell, and stuffed in a suit of armor."

Medli extricated herself from the catfight with Midna, the two having declared a temporary peace. "Didn't you have to be fished out of a giant creature, fish girl?" she asked.

"Back, not butt," Ilia protested, "and I didn't have a choice about being shot!" Everyone ignored her in favor of watching Ruto and Medli.

"Didn't he imprison you in a temple beneath the waves?" Ruto shot back.

"That was to restore power to his sword," the Rito protested, "it wasn't like he was sending me to prison. I even helped him through that dungeon, instead of being carried like a dead weight!"

"I was looking for the engagement stone!" Ruto informed the circle, "Which he accepted, might I remind you."

"No, you may not" Zelda interjected, "you only gave him a stone, big whoop. In addition to the ocarina of time and all the warp songs, I gave him the light arrows, an integral part of defeating Ganondorf."

"I gave him a lot more than just items," Midna put in, "I was there every step of the way with valuable advice, not to mention serving as his mode of transport. Do you know how many times that guy wanted to warp to Castle town?"

"I gave him a mode of transport," Malon piped up, "Epona is integral before the gears clicked up there and you figured out how to warp."

"I made the charm that allowed him to call his horse," Ilia said, determined to have her bit.

"yeah, and he saw you how many times during his quest?" Midna asked. "Let's think, about three."

"And the horse call isn't very useful," Tetra added.

"I helped him through two dungeons," Medli said, "I gave him the item for the first and helped him through my temple. How many of you can say that?"

"I was there for two," Ruto said.

Saria guffawed. "Yeah, you were a weight to carry in one and you were there for about a minute in the other."

"You weren't there for any," Tetra reminded her, "I did help him into Forsaken the first time he went."

Midna laughed. "By launching him into a wall," she choked out, "I'm sure he was SO thankful when his head split open."

"His head did not split open, he's more resilient than that," Tetra shot back

"I taught him the song you need to calm Darunia," piped Saria, "so you could say I helped him into a dungeon."

"From a distance," Navi retorted, "I was there the whole quest and he only used that song maybe twice."

"If you think about it," mused Ilia, "I was the driving force behind his quest."

"Of course you were," Nabooru interjected, "that's why he left you at the end."

"He just needed some time to adjust," Ilia insisted.

Midna snickered again. "Adjust? Please, he ran off to find me."

This comment raised a chorus of "did not" and "not true" and one "MEOW!". The assembled Hyrule girls blinked and looked at the authoress, who was, of course, the one who'd said "meow".

"What?" she asked innocently, "it seemed an appropriate thing to say."

"Listen!" shouted the fairy at the table. Satisfied she had everyone's full attention, she started anew, "I think we ought to take a vote."

"I don't think that's a good idea, ball of light," Tetra put in, "we'd all vote for ourselves."

"I agree with Tetra," Saria added.

Malon pounded the table. "I second the motion."

"Thank you, Malon," Navi said.

"to not have a vote," Malon finished.

Navi scowled and fluttered her wings harder, inhaling like she was about to yell. Saria grabbed the fairy by a wing and shoved her back in her seat, clamping a hand over her mouth.

"Thank you," Ruto sighed.

"has anyone thought to count Epona?" Ilia mused aloud.

"Count her as what?" asked Medli.

"A love interest," Ilia said,as though it was obvious. This proposition was met with gagging around the table, but Ilia continued as if she hadn't heard. "I mean, he spends the most time with her, if you put all his quests together."

Saria released Navi, who immediately flew up and shrieked out "HEY! LISTEN!"

Ilia shut up, and there was a sigh of relief around the table.

Before Navi could get any further, Nabooru cut into the silence. "I promised him 'something great' that I never got to fulfill, therefore he ought to be mine."

"Because of a promise you never fulfilled," Zelda said, "yeah, that's a great reason."

"Says the person who made him risk his life," Midna scoffed.

"You weren't any better," Zelda accused, "you used him to get your Fused Shadows, never telling him what was going on. I at least had the sense to tell him that."

"that doesn't excuse the fact I was there for him, while you hid up in your tower," the twili spat.

"Oh, you were a less annoying version of Navi. Offense meant." Zelda retorted.

"Hey!" Navi protested, "I was not that annoying!"

"Yes you were," chorused the entire table.

"I only saw you a few times, and my only impression was that you were that annoying," Ruto said.

"Same here," piped Saria.

"Malon nicknamed Link because of me, so she doesn't hate me. Right, Malon?" Navi asked desperately.

"Nope, I called him that because you were the thing that stuck out the most. You stuck out most because you were loud and annoying," explained the red-head.

"You realize you just admitted to not noticing Link," Medli observed.

Malon turned red. "and I suppose you did?"

Medli ignored the jibe. "in fact, I bet he could go his entire quest without noticing you," she mused. Malon turned even redder. "Which makes you an optional character, while I am one of the two Sages that are necessary to find and travel with."

"And lock away under the sea," Tetra pointed out. "he did all that to rescue me, by the way."

"Same here," Ilia chipped in. "I'm the original reason that he ever went on that quest."

"Says the person who shows affection by stealing his stuff," Tetra pointed out.

"So says the pirate," said Nabooru.

"Says the thief," Tetra shot back.

"Point noted," grumbled Nabooru. tetra kicked her chair back on two legs and put her hands behind her head. Ruto kicked it under the table and the pirate captain fell flat on the floor.

"Who did that?" she demanded. When no one stepped forward, she grabbed one of Nabooru's scimitars and jumped up on the table. "Who did that?" she repeated, pointing the blade at each person in turn. Nabooru leapt up on the table and drew her other scimitar, locking swords with Tetra. The pair danced around atop the table, nearly taking the others heads off when a swing went wild.

Midna took advantage of the confusion caused by this impromptu swordplay display to kick Medli in the shins.

"Ow!" shrieked the bird-girl, and retaliated with a passion.

Just like that, the room descended into complete and utter chaos. Everyone trading blows and not caring who got caught in the crossfire. the authoress, who was the only one still in her chair and not turning someone else black and blue, watched the scene and ate her popcorn.

"Aren't you going to do something?" Dark Link, who had just sneaked back into the room, asked.

"Nah, they're having too much fun," the authoress said, as Navi went spiraling by, "and aren't you supposed to not be here?"

"Yeah, and I can see why," Dark admitted, quickly making himself scarce again.

Saria leapt up on the table at the same time Tetra landed from jumping over one of Nabooru's swings and Medli was slammed against it. The combined force of the girls was too much for the poor table. With a loud groan and a sharp crack, it broke down the middle, sending Tetra, Nabooru, and Saria into a tangle in the middle and one section falling on top of Medli.

"Obviously, this could have gone better," the authoress muttered to herself. With no better options presenting themselves, she pulled a Navi and yelled, "Hey!"

Everyone froze and stared at her.

"Does anyone have any points to present that don't involve insults or more destruction of my property?" she asked, pinching the bridge of her nose.

All the girls slowly regained their feet and replied in the negative.

"then we will have to vote," the authoress sighed. "We'll go one at a time, whomever garners the most votes gets a story pairing them with Link."

The girls looked at each other, excitement shining in their eyes. then one at a time, they cast their vote.

"Midna."

"Ilia."

"Navi."

Ruto swatted the fairy floating next to her before voting, "Ruto."

"Saria."

"Tetra."

"Malon."

"Zelda."

"Medli."

"Dark Link."

Everyone glared at Dark and pulled a weapon from somewhere. under the onslaught of pointy things, Dark made himself scarce.

The Gerudo finished the vote with, "Nabooru."

The authoress pinched the bridge of her nose. "Can you not vote for anyone but yourselves?" she asked exasperatedly.

"Yes," was the resounding answer.

"but that means the vote will be forever tied, "Zelda exclaimed.

"I have an idea!" Ilia shouted, surprising everyone.

"Realy?" asked Midna, "you can have ideas?"

Ilia stuck her tongue out at the Twili. "Yes, I can have ideas, though they usually involve horses." she began to fall into a dreamy stupor at the thought of horses, but Saria kicking her in the shins brought her back from la-la land.

"Where was I? Oh yes, I had an idea!"

"We heard this already," muttered Tetra.

Ilia ignored her. "You can write a one-shot for each of us!" she exclaimed.

The authoress looked thoughtful. She glanced over the line, pausing particularly at Saria, Navi, and Ilia.

"I don't know," she began. Suddenly, everyone was pointing a sharp and pointy thing at her.

"How fast I can get them out," the authoress spluttered out quickly.

The girls relaxed and out away their pointy things. "So," Midna asked, rubbing her hands together, "who's first?"

All gazes were directed at the authoress. "um, we'll go alphabetically," she suggested.

A moment of conferrence later, they realized who that would mean.

"Me!" shouted Ilia.

Everyone else, including the authoress grumbled. "All right, everyone out, I need to write," said the authoress.

In two and threes, the girls filed out, a little worse for wear, but nothing that wouldn't come out in a day or two. The authoress sighed, rescued her control panel from where it had come to rest in a corner, and punched a button. Her laptop appeared in front of her and she sighed again before beginning to type.

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><p><strong>The one-shots I promised the girls will be coming out. I will not EVER do LinkXDark, so first up will be LinkXIlia. *Grumbles*<strong>

**I'd like you to vote for which one-shot was your favorite once they're all done, but for now, tell me what you thought of the *looks around for any remaining girls* catfight.**


	2. Ilia

**More hurt/comfort than romance, but hey, Ilia's hard to write.**

**By the way, there will be a song listed at the bottom of each chapter, that is the song that inspired the chapter.**

**I'm not sure whether I remembered to say it in the first chapter, so I'll say it now and that will have to do for all chapters. I do not own Legend of Zelda!**

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><p>Link and Ilia<p>

Starlight

Ilia tiptoed past her father's room and down the stairs. The front door shut quietly behind her and she padded, catlike, through the sleeping town of Ordon. She went past the shop, through the gate and stopped dead at the sight before her.

Link was standing in front of his house, wearing that green tunic and adjusting the saddle on Epona. Her foot brushed a twig and it cracked loudly in the still night.

In a motion too fast for her to follow, Link pulled out his sword and crossed the clearing in one fluid move, placing the sword at her neck. When he saw who it was, his eyes widened and he stepped back hurriedly, sheathing the blade.

"Ilia," his voice carried a taint of resignation, "What are you doing up?"

"I felt I needed to come down here," the girl replied, crossing her arms, "And I guess it was right. What are you doing?"

"Leaving," Link replied simply, turning back to Epona and finishing the adjustments.

"Without saying goodbye?" she snapped.

Link only grunted, and that made Ilia mad. He had been off on some journey that he refused to talk about, and now he was leaving again. "Without saying goodbye?" she repeated.

"Yes," he answered, picking up a shield lying on the ground.

"Why?" she demanded. When he made no reply, she crossed the clearing and put her hands on his shoulders. He turned his head, but she placed a hand on his cheek and forced him to look at her. "Why are you leaving?" she asked, "Why don't you talk to me anymore, Link? What happened to you?"

Link broke out of her grip effortlessly and slung the shield on his back. "It's better this way," he mumbled.

"Why?" Ilia demanded, "Are we just not good enough for you anymore?"

Link spun around and clamped his hands on her shoulders. "Never think that, Ilia" he insisted, "Never think that you are not good enough."

In the starlight, his eyes seemed to shine out of black pits. If you just saw his eyes, you might mistake him for a beast. Link seemed to realize what he was doing and released her, taking a step back to put distance between them. Ilia rolled her shoulders, Link's grip was _tight_.

He noticed the motion and emitted a bark-like sound. It took her an instant to realize it was a laugh. "Look at me, Ilia, I'm a monster," he said. When she started to protest, he held up a hand to stop her and met her eyes squarely for the first time that night. "I hurt you, don't deny it. I have killed more than I can count."

"They were monsters, Link," she protested, "Dumb beasts."

He made the bark-like sound again. "They aren't dumb, Ilia, they just follow the strongest. I have heard them speak." He sat down on the ground. "There was this one place I had to get into, in the desert, but there was a bokoblin camp in my way. Do you know what I did, Ilia?"

The girl shook her head.

"I hunted them down and tore them apart. I didn't even attempt to be stealthy; I searched them out and murdered them. I even have a form to match what I am." Before she could question him, he had reached into a pouch and pulled out a black and orange crystal. She just had time to glimpse it before his form rippled.

When it cleared, a massive wolf sat there. He bared his teeth at her and growled, crouching to the ground. She got down on her knees and placed a hand on his head.

"I don't know what you see," she told him, "but I see a proud, dignified creature who wouldn't hurt me. And if he did, he would never forgive himself. That is the difference between you and a monster, Link. A monster wouldn't care if he hurt someone, you were about to leave so you didn't put any of us in danger. Yes, you've killed, but you mourn each and every death. That is what makes you a hero."

The wolf looked at her, before rippling back into Link. He threw his arms around her neck and didn't say anything for the longest time, just holding onto her as if he was afraid she would disappear. Ilia put her arms around him and rocked gently back and forth, letting him know she wasn't going anywhere. Finally, he pulled back.

"Thank you Ilia," he whispered.

"I'll always be here for you," she told him, "no matter what."

She rose and turned to go back to her house, but he latched onto her wrist. "Stay with me," he pleaded, "to make sure I don't go anywhere."

Ilia nodded, waited patiently while he unsaddled Epona, and followed him into his house. She climbed under the blankets with him and fell asleep to the sound of his breathing.

**Ilia's Song: "Look after you" by The Fray**


	3. Malon

**I promised myself I would update daily, and here I am with another one already. I am spoiling you guys completely rotten.**

**Double thank you to Resiviechsi for reviewing both chapters and inspiring me to get this out this fast. Also thanks to msfcatlover.  
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><p>Link and Malon<p>

Questions

Malon stood amongst the crowd, watching the double doors. In a moment the Hero of Time would come through those doors with the one who was rumored to become his bride, Zelda princess of Destiny. Everyone said it was a match made in heaven, except one red-haired farm girl.

Seeing it would be a moment, Malon closed her eyes and remembered.

_The first time she saw him, intrigued by his strange clothes and the fairy at his side._

_Teaching him Epona's song when they were both children._

_The time she taught him to ride, giggling at the look of shock on his face when he fell into the mud._

_She'd been struggling with a heavy crate. he had come up and helped her. She'd called him a "knight in shining armor" and thanked him by kissing his cheek. She'd thoroughly enjoyed the look of shock on his face.  
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_A picnic under the sun on a grassy knoll, when the storm clouds had broken, dumping rain onto the land. They had run home in the rain, laughing and kicking puddles as they were drenched._

_Their first kiss. He'd been about to leave, and some desperate instinct told her to spin him around and kiss him. She had, and he had come back to her, brusied, battered, but alive.._

_The time he'd taken her swimming in Lake Hylia, just scooped her up, plopped her on his horse and took off. He'd claimed she looked like she needed a break._

All the times they'd had together, good and bad alike, flashed through her mind. They had been through so much, yet it wasn't enough_. _he had forgotten her the moment Zelda crossed his path_. _That wasn't even the worst part, no the worst part was that he hadn't even told her. The only reason she even knew was because she'd heard a pair of women talking about the Hero and the princess and the rumors that they were getting engaged. Malon had immediately asked them why they thought that.

The women, more than happy to spread a little gossip, informed her that he'd been seen purchasing an engagement ring, and they were spending a lot of time in each other's company.

The ranch girl was thunderstruck. he'd dumped her without a second thought, not even bothering to tell her what was happening. She'd heard the announcement that the princess was going to be having a town meeting, like she did every week to address the people's concerns. Anyone could ask questions, and the princess would answer as best she could. This time, the Hero was also going to be in attendance and Malon had a question she desperately wanted the answer to.

So here she was, waiting for the princess and her rumored fiance to show up.

_"Please, Din, Farore, Nayru, if you can hear me, I kind of need a miracle here,"_ she beseeched_ "Failing that, some courage would be nice."_

There was no answer, except that the doors opened. Link and the princess walked out, arm in arm. They stood on the fountain's rim and the princess spoke.

"Citizens of Hyrule, I thank you for coming," she said. Though her voice was not loud, it carried across the square. "I'm sure you have many questions, so I will not tire you with long speeches."

Immediately after Zelda was done speaking, someone called out with a question about an outbreak of thievery. The princess answered that the guard patrols would be increased, and moved on to the next question.

There were several more questions, some directed at Link, who answered them as best he could. He was obviously nervous, and stammered a bit while answering. The most awkward question was when some woman who Malon couldn't see asked if he would marry her. Link turned crimson and feebly laughed.

"Sorry, but I'm seeing someone," he replied to the faceless woman. This gave Malon the perfect lead-in for her question.

"Then the rumors about you and the princess are true?" she called. The entire square seemed to go dead silent, all attention focused on Link's answer. His brow furrowed.

"Mal?" he asked, "Is that you?" He hopped down off the fountain rim and walked toward her. The crowd parted like a wave, letting him through, but closed behind her, cutting off escape.

Malon glanced around desperately, seeking some means of escape. None presented themselves, so she lifted her head and faced him. Link stopped right in front of her, closer than she might have liked in such a public place, but she would not appear weak by retreating.

"I have something for you, Mal," he said softly.

Malon said nothing, merely glared silently at him. the glare turned to shock and something soft when he got down on one knee and pulled a small box from one of his pouches.

"This isn't exactly how I had planned this," he admitted, "but here goes. Malon, I've loved you for nearly seven years and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He opened the box to reveal a simple band with a glittering diamond. "Will you marry me?"

Malon's hands flew to her mouth, tears of happiness streaming down her face. "Yes," she gasped, "yes yes yes."

Link grinned, slid the ring on her finger, stood, and kissed her. Malon didn't care that at least half of Castle Town was watching, she put her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

The square exploded in cheers. Link pulled away, resting his forehead on hers. "Does that answer your question?" he whispered.

"Perfectly," Malon replied, pulling him back into another kiss.

**Malon's Song: "Miracle" by Cascada**


	4. Medli

**I proudly present another chapter of Link's girls. I am extremely fond of this chapter, so if anyone flames it, I shall find you and make you eat said flame with extra tabasco sauce.**

**mfscatlover: thank you.  
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**Jazzmatazz2000: All the pairings you mentioned will be in here, with the exception of LinkXDark. Actually, I already have the Navi chapter written, and it was fun to write, I hope you enjoy it, even if you don't like the pairing.  
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><p>Link and Medli<p>

Storytelling

"Elder, tell us a story!" pleaded the children.

The gray-haired woman set aside the pouch she had been mending and fixed her eyes on the children. "is it that time already?" she asked. The children nodded and she sat back and thought for a moment.

"Alright, children, tonight's story is about a young girl. Her hair was the color of the sunset, and her eyes matched fire in hue. Perhaps you have heard of her. Her name was Medli, and this is her story.

Medli was attendant to the great sky spirit Valoo, a long time ago, she alone could understand the language that he spoke. But as of late, the great Valoo had been prone to fits of temper and Medli saw no reason behind it."

As the elder wove her tale, the children closed their eyes. Her descriptions were so rich and detailed that they could smell the sea breeze and see Medli's hair blowing in the wind from the volcano.

Medli stood in the depression before the entrance to the cavern, worrying. She had asked the outsider to meet her here, hopeful that he would help her gain entrance to the cavern. She didn't know why, but she felt she could trust the green-garbed boy even after just one meeting.

Footsteps behind her made her turn, meeting his beautiful blue eyes. That had been her first impression of him, that he had nice eyes, expressive and deep. She smiled and quickly explained her plan. He acquiesced and after a few mishaps where her head made contact with the ledge, she made it, landing on the path to the great Valoo. Almost as an afterthought, she turned back and threw him the bottle she held before entering.

With the grappling hook she carried, it was short work to climb to the peak of the mountain. Now Medli stood so near to the great Valoo that she could count his scales if she wanted to.

Medli bowed respectfully and asked what was wrong. Valoo answered that it hurt, that his tail hurt, that the unholy creature that dwelled below was making his tail hurt and that he could do nothing about it.

The attendant stood shock-still absorbing this information. Lost in her whirling thoughts, she failed to notice the monsters creeping up behind her until they seized her and threw her in a jail cell. She shook the bars and railed at them to let her go, but the monsters ignored her. Disheartened, she slumped in a corner and thought hard, searching for a way out of this predicament.

Footsteps in the entrance made her turn, meeting his blue eyes once again. He dispatched the monsters easily and freed her. Wasting no time, Medli explained what was happening to Valoo. She implored him to slay the creature torturing the great Valoo's tail, as she had no skill with the blade.

He agreed, and she gave him her grappling hook to help him in this quest. As he was swinging away, she realized something and called after him, asking his name.

He turned back, smiled, and replied. "I'm Link."

Once he had vanished from sight, Medli glided back down to the city and ran to find the chieftain. She was in the process of telling him all that had transpired when Valoo roared. Not an angry, hurt roar, as he had been sounding lately, but one of happiness. She hurried to the exit warp point, bringing Prince Komali with her.

They arrived just in time to see Link appear. To her surprise, Komali actually apologized for his behavior and gave the outsider his treasure, even the great Valoo named the boy a hero. Komali departed at top speed to receive his scale, and Medli turned to Link before she chased after the prince.

"Will I see you again?" she asked desperately.

Link shrugged. "Maybe," he replied, "I'll try to visit, though."

Impulsively, Medli hugged him, then chased after Komali. Link hopped in his boat and sailed off across the waves to places unknown.

"But she has to see him again," one of the children, a young rito girl with red hair, protested, "he can't just leave like that."

"She saw him again," the elder assured them, "he came back and took her away to a temple be a Sage, the Earth Sage to be specific. But that is a story for another time, now run along to bed."

The children obeyed, all save the one that had protested. "What happened at the end?" she asked, "he didn't leave her in the temple, did he?"

The elder chuckled. "No, child, he took her from that place once Hyrule sunk beneath the waves for good. They sailed off together to who knows where and had many more adventures together."

"What is Medli doing now?" the girl asked.

The elder's fire-red eyes slid past her granddaughter's head to meet a blue pair that time had yet to steal the sparkle from. A peaceful smile crossed her wrinkled face as she replied. "She's living happily ever after."

**Medli's Song: "Little Wonders" by Rob Thomas**


	5. Midna

**I'm back with the daily update of "Link's girls". Hope you like!**

**And Before y'all start telling me how impossible this is, I want you to know that this is an AU where Midna did not break the mirror. She went back to the Twili, but left the mirror intact. Originally this was part of a larger story, but that project got scrapped before it was ever posted.**

**msfcatlover and Jazzmatazz2000: your reviews made me smile so hard, I think my face broke. Thank you.  
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><p>Link and Midna<p>

Visitation

Link leaned against the railing and sighed, staring up at the sky. He missed the footsteps coming up behind him until someone pounced on him, hanging on piggyback, legs around his waist, hands over his eyes.

"Guess who," the person piped.

"Get off me Ilia!" Link yelled, grabbing at whoever's hands.

"Bad dog," said the person on his back, "I'm ashamed. You've forgotten me already."

Link stopped trying to pry her hands off his face. "M-Midna?" he asked.

She giggled and removed her hands from his eyes, dangling them lazily down his chest, and resting her head on his shoulder. "The one and only," she assured him.

"I thought you were going to stay with your people," he said.

Midna shrugged, he felt the movement, "I forgot how boring the council was, so I needed a break. It was easy enough to sneak out and a simpler matter to warp here."

"This is great!" the hero exclaimed, "get off me, and I'll introduce you to the rest of Ordon."

"Nope," the princess replied, "it's more fun to ride you."

"Very well," Link agreed good-humoredly, "but don't blame me if I go down when the children mob me."

The twili shrugged again. "I'll take my chances."

Without another word, Link trotted toward the village, leaving the goats to their own devices for a time. True to his word, they were mobbed halfway down the path. Link knelt down to be on their level, lowering Midna as well.

"Who're you?' Beth asked.

"Are you Link's girlfriend?" Talo questioned.

"Um," Midna deadpanned.

Small hands pulled at her, tugging her off Link's back and escorting her down the path.

"Link? A little help here?" Midna asked over her shoulder.

Link chuckled and followed the group into the main village. The children, always eager to meet someone new, were especially excited to introduce 'Link's girlfriend'. Whether or not she liked it, that became Midna's new title as the children blasted it to their parents.

The older Ordonians had a good-natured laugh at the discomfort of the pair whenever that title was mentioned. After a while, Link had to go back up to tend the goats, while Midna was roped into playing a game with the children. They called it 'hide and seek' and taught Midna the rules.

The afternoon wore on quickly, as the children taught Midna all their games. She played 'tag'; 'duck, duck, goose', though they had to explain what a duck was; some game involving lines drawn in the dirt that they called 'tic tac toe'; and others. The twilight princess was having the time of her life, laughing and smiling without a care.

They were playing a last round of hide and seek before dinner. Midna was hiding beside the house with the windmill, near the water, listening as Talo hunted.

Shouts informed her that Collin had been found, followed by Ilia, then Rusl, who had somehow been roped into playing a round with them. Malo was next to be found, leaving only her and Beth.

Abruptly, something wet wrapped around her from behind and dragged her into the water. Midna let out a scream as she was soaked. She surfaced, spluttering and gasping, and looked around for the perpetrator.

Link was treading water beside her, grinning like it was his birthday. The princess splashed him in retaliation and climbed back onto the dock

"That," Midna began, adopting her most pompous tone and crossing her arms, "is no way to treat—eie!" The last exclamation was because Link had pulled her ankle, dragging back into the water and straight into his arms.

"That is no way to treat a princess," Midna told her captor, shoving at him.

Link's hold around her didn't budge. "But you're not a princess here," he reminded her, "you're just Midna, Link's girlfriend."

Any words Midna might have said in protest of the title were cut off when he kissed her. Getting away was now the furthest thing from her mind. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed back.

"Found you!" exclaimed Talo.

Link and Midna broke apart quickly, gasping for air and blushing. "Good for you," she said.

Talo cocked his head to one side. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Link clapped one hand over her mouth to prevent Midna from making a smart remark. "We were having a water fight," he told the boy.

"It doesn't look like when Beth and I have a water fight," he remarked.

"That's because we were…," began Link.

"Kissing," finished Midna, who had succeeded in removing his hand.

Talo's eyes widened. "Eew!" he exclaimed, "Gross, I'm leaving." And he did just that, taking off toward his house.

"I think I frightened him off," giggled Midna.

"Are you hungry?" Link asked abruptly, "I can make us some dinner while you get out of those wet things."

Midna looked at him and raised an eyebrow and Link immediately rethought his sentence.

"I didn't mean you had to be naked," he protested, "I have some extra clothes you can put on while your current clothes dry."

Midna pretended to think about it. "All right," she agreed, "it will be nice to get out of these."

They splashed back onto land and Link led her to his house. There he busied himself making dinner while Midna changed into some dry things. When she came back up, she found Link had also changed and was stirring a pot suspended over the fire.

"Smells good," she said, sitting down next to him, "what is it?"

"Goat stew," he replied.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, the only sound the slow bubbling as the food cooked.

"So why did you come here?" Link asked after a while.

"I'd forgotten how boring the council was," Midna scoffed, "if I had to sit through another meeting, I'd have screamed. They're still trying to figure out how to get the castle down from where Zant put it."

"I thought it was supposed to be there," he said.

"Of course not, Twili can't fly," said Midna, "I offered to use my magic to get it down, but they rejected that. I think I'll just do it anyway when I get back." She chuckled. "I hope I see their faces when they realize what I did."

They chatted about everything and nothing, catching up on each other's lives, pausing a while to eat. Somewhere in this process, they both ended up lying on the floor, Midna using Link's stomach as a pillow.

"Midna?" he whispered, realizing that she hadn't responded to his last question. The only answer was deep, even breathing. The Twilight princess had fallen asleep.

Link smiled and leaned back. "Good night, Midna," he whispered, before joining her in sleep.

**Midna's Song: "Pretty Baby" by Vanessa Carlton**


	6. Nabooru

**This one, I'm not sure whether I was shipping Link or Ganondorf with Nabooru. Ah well, pick the one you like better.**

**Oh, and I did not make up the nicknames Nabs and Ganny, they belong to a story entitled "Memoirs of a Gerudo".  
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><p>Link and Nabooru<p>

Barriers

Nabooru blinked open amber eyes and stretched. A quick movement had her out of bed and on her feet. She paused a moment to change her clothes and put her jewelry back on before she snatched up her curved swords and vaulted out the window.

She landed gracefully in a roll and climbed up the fortress with the ease of long practice. She attained the highest roof in a matter of minutes and seated herself on the edge. Her legs swung down and she lay back, watching the stars.

It wasn't the first time she'd woken before the sun rose, in fact it was rather a regular occurrence. She had a lot on her mind, being both the Exalted and the Sage of Spirit, she had to deal with many problems and just before the sun rose was the best time to meditate.

Sighing, Nabooru closed her eyes and focused on meditating. When she felt the tug, she opened her eyes.

The rooftop she'd been lying on had vanished from beneath her, replaced by her pedestal in the Chamber of Sages. The Sage got to her feet easily and walked to the edge, placing a hand on the transparent barrier that sealed away Ganondorf. She closed her eyes once more and extended her senses beyond the barrier.

_Hello Nabooru_, he greeted, _What brings you here this morning?_

_How do you know it is morning? _She thought back curiously_._

He chuckled._ You only ever come here in the mornings, little Sage._

A small smile graced the corners of her mouth. _You know me too well. _She told him_, I'm not sure why I still bother coming._

_Because you need my wisdom, _he suggested.

The smile widened_. Says the bearer of Power, _she teased.

He gave a mental shrug._ I try. _He came forward from the depths of his prison and placed a hand on the barrier, mirroring hers_. It's good to see you smile, Nabooru. It's been too long since you've smiled._

_Because of you, _she spat_, if you hadn't got it in your head that we should take over Hyrule, we wouldn't have had to deal with that headache of a mess you caused._

He did not flinch from the onslaught of angry thoughts she sent his way_. I know, _he told her_, I was a horrible leader. While I was trying so hard to make your lives better, I only made them worse and I was too wrapped up in my search for power to see that. The rest of Hyrule can burn for all I care, but I regret that I put my sisters through such suffering._

A tear ran unbidden down her cheek. He raised one hand, as if to wipe it away, then hesitated and lowered it.

_That's my Ganny, _she thought_, always trying for more, never realizing all he ever wanted was right there waiting for him until it was too late. You did what you thought was best, and never bowed to any authority.  
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Ganondorf put his other hand on the barrier, eyes never leaving hers.

She matched his movements._ I understand why you did what you did, _she told him_, but I will never forgive you._ The Sage of Spirit pulled her hands away from the barrier, severing the thought connection.

The former King of the Gerudo, who had been tried and found guilty, watched his old friend, and one of his jailers, walk away from him without a backward glance.

Nabooru returned to her pedestal and stood atop it. The familiar feeling of returning to the living world enveloped her. When it cleared, she was standing on the rooftop again, staring at the sunrise.

Footsteps sounded behind her, and she turned to see who it was.

"Why do you keep going to see him?" asked the owner of the footsteps, "it just upsets you."

She smiled sadly, turning to face the sunrise once more. "He was my friend, my king, for years. You can't just forget about a bond like that, no matter what. I keep going because I want to see if it's just the King of Evil, or if the Ganondorf I knew is still in there."

Her companion's response was to put his arms around her and rest his chin on her shoulder. "So, which is he?" Link asked.

Nabooru shook her head in a motion that was neither yes nor no. "At times, he seems so like the Ganondorf I used to know, the one I would tease and train with; and at others he's a completely different person, and I don't know him at all."

Link walked in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders. "It's all right," he soothed, "You'll figure it out."

The leader sagged into him. She liked these moments when it was just him and her, and she didn't need to worry about the problems around the corner. She could just be Nabooru, not Exalted Nabooru, Sage of Spirit. Link put his arms around her, comforting her without words.

A call of "Exalted Nabooru!" broke the peaceful moment.

Nabooru sighed and extricated herself from Link's grasp. "Looks like I have to go," she sighed, "another day awaits."

He let go obediantly. "Don't worry, Nabs," he instructed, "you'll figure it out."

"I told you not to call me that!" she said exasperatedly. But she was smiling as she leaped down to see what was the matter.

**What's that? You want to know what Link was doing in Gerudo Fortress and why she didn't kick him out? Well, the long and short of it is that it's fiction. **

**Nabooru's song: "Could this be love" by Victoria Acosta.  
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	7. Navi

**Warning: slight spoiler for ending of OoT.**

**This one was fun to write. I know lots of people don't like Navi, but give this a try, please?  
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><p>Link and Navi<p>

Stolen moments

Navi floated, staring in dismay at the room before her. All the monsters were gone from it, leaving the inner temple unguarded. Quickly, she flew through the room into the one beyond it, and then another, and another, finding them all in the same guardless state. When she reached the innermost chamber, where the boss lurked, she found it lying on the ground, slowly disintegrating, with a figure in gold armor standing over it, cleaning his sword of their guardian's guts.

"Hey!" she shrieked, fluttering to the chamber floor, "Who are you? How dare you intrude on our sanctum!" The figure turned around, lifting its sword, and looked around for an opponent.

Navi grinned, here came the fun part. She closed her eyes and called on her magic, dimming her aura and increasing her size dramatically until it matched that of a human. She wore a short light blue dress, her blue hair ran loose down her shoulders, and her wings waved gently behind her.

While she had been here, she had learned to do that very, very, fast. To the untrained eye, it looked as if a winged warrior had appeared from nowhere. Even a trained eye would have trouble spotting the transition.

The fairy looked the intruder up and down. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" she asked.

The stranger made no response, so she fell into fighting stance, summoning her two straight swords effortlessly out of her magic 'pocket'. "I'm asking this one last time, vagrant, so you'd better answer," she growled, "What are you doing here?"

"The villagers said there were monsters here, so I came to cleanse the temple," it explained. From the sound of the voice, a male occupied the armor. His voice sounded slightly familiar, but the blue fairy brushed it away.

"But it's our temple!" Navi protested, "the humans have no right to it!"

The intruder pulled out his sword and settled into his own fighting stance. "They said you would lay claim to it," he said, "They said I was not to trust the winged ones."

Navi did not give him a chance to speak more, launching herself forward. Their blades clashed and they sprang apart, circling and locking again in a dance that was both graceful and deadly; a dance where a misstep meant death.

As she fought, Navi scrutinized his fighting. His moves seemed familiar to her, rather similar to her own. She spotted the flaw in his motions as he feinted right and slipped under his guard, twisting her sword and sending his flying across the room.

"Surrender," she ordered, leveling her blade at where his chest plate met his helmet. Shakily, he raised his hands to the level of his head.

"Agri!" she called to the empty room, never taking her eyes off her disarmed opponent. In response to her call, the little yellow fairy appeared just above her right shoulder.

"You called, lady?" he asked.

"Yes, I did. Tell Kopu that the humans have sent another champion to attempt to gain control of our temple. I have captured him and will bring him shortly," she told the messenger.

When Agri had appeared, the intruder had started, like he was seeing a ghost. Agri made to fly away and he called out "wait!"

Both fairies were startled by this, but Navi did not let it show. "What is it, prisoner?" she barked.

He ignored her, addressing Agri instead. "Are there more fairies, where you come from?" he asked.

Agri replied affirmative.

"Is one of them named Navi?" he said, almost pleadingly.

Agri stiffened. "Her title is Lady Navi," he haughtily told the stranger, "she is the future queen, and deserves to be addressed with respect."

"Can you tell her I miss her?" the human pleaded.

"Tell her yourself," Agri scoffed, nodding to Navi before zipping off.

He turned to her, "Navi?" he asked.

"That is my name," the fairy replied imperiously, "How do you know me?"

For answer, the human's champion removed his helmet with hands that shook. Navi scrutinized his face, dirty blond hair, deep blue eyes, it couldn't be.

"L-Link?" she asked.

Link's face broke into a wide smile. "The same."

Navi's swords clattered to the ground as she raced the few steps between them and flung her arms around him. Link returned the embrace fiercely.

"Why did you leave?" he whispered into her hair.

"I had to," she confessed, "Kopu is old, so he has to choose a successor. That'd be me."

Link pulled back enough to look her in the eyes, "Why didn't you say anything?" he asked.

"I figured you would forget me," Navi said, examining the floor between her bare feet.

"Navi, forgetting you was the furthest thing from my mind," the hero told her, "I never stopped looking for you these last seven years. I missed you."

Navi wrapped her arms around him again. "I missed you too," she murmured, "please don't leave."

"Never," he assured her, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.

They would sort out the mess he had created later, but for now the once-korkiri and future-queen just enjoyed this stolen moment.

**Navi's song: "I miss you" by Sweetbox**


	8. Ruto

**This one was hard. I had to go through three or four ideas before I got something that didn't sound horrible, but I like the result.**

**Thanks again to everyone who reviewed.  
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><p>Link and Ruto<p>

Memories

Ruto swatted angrily at the water, distorting her reflection. She scowled as the puddle cleared at her touch and smashed her fist into it.

Giving it up with a huff, she sat up, misjudged her newly shortened form, and nearly fell over. She scowled down at her child's body and hunched forward, burying her face in her knees.

_Zelda didn't ask our opinion of course,_ she thought bitterly, _maybe I didn't want to return to the past, no, the present, now._

The ten-year old zora princess gave off a yell of frustration, which was muffled by her knees. She didn't like being small again. She didn't like that Hyrule's princess had completely erased everything that had been done. Most of all she didn't like the fact that Link would not remember her. She had wrapped her memories in a bit of power to protect them from the time stream's greedy grasp, but her fiancé had no such protection.

_Ex-fiancé now, _she thought, a tear running down her cheek. _ It's hard to be engaged if he never met me._

She huddled into a smaller ball. She would let all her misery and self pity out now, where no one could find her, and then she would go out of Lord Jabu-Jabu and be a good princess.

Her little fit was interrupted when someone placed a hand on her shoulder. Ruto scrubbed her cheeks, trying to erase the evidence that she had been crying.

"What?" she sniffed. She mentally smacked herself for how pitiful she sounded. "What?" she repeated, this time in her best princess tone.

"Are you all right?" Ruto froze. It couldn't be. She raised her head so fast, she nearly gave herself whiplash. Her mouth fell open when she saw Link standing there. Without pausing to think, she threw herself at him, knocking him over.

"You came back," she cried. She was still crying, but this time they were tears of happiness.

Link chuckled awkwardly. "Not exactly," he said, sitting up. He brought her with him, so she was sitting on his lap.

Ruto tipped her head to the side. "What do you mean?" she asked, "you're here, right?"

Link moved his head in a motion that was neither yes nor no. "I woke up this morning with the word 'Ruto' bouncing around my head, but without any idea of how it got there or why it's so important. Saria told me that Ruto was the name of the princess of the zora, and that there was a shortcut into the domain in the Lost Woods. Your father told me you were feeding Jabu-Jabu and that you'd looked distressed. He let me through, hoping I could cheer you up, so here I am, though I still have no idea how your name got into my head."

Ruto unwrapped a fin from around the Zora's Sapphire. "Does this help?" she asked in a watery voice, offering him the stone.

The former hero took it carefully from her and held it up to the light, watching the light sparkle off the stone and onto the walls.

"I remember this," he said in a distant voice, "You gave it to me" He looked down at her, confusion etched across his features. "But I've never been to the Domain before in my life, how do I remember that?"

Ruto suppressed a smile, "look at that stone again, and try to remember something else about it."

Link stared into the depths of the Sapphire. "I got this because Zelda asked me to. She wanted all three Spiritual Stones to keep Ganondorf out of the Sacred Realm." A smile tugged the corners of his mouth, "that plan backfired, and he got into the Realm anyway. I had to go through six temples to wake the Sages to imprison him." His eyes widened and he looked back down at Ruto. "One of them was you," he said.

Ruto giggled. "That's right," she told him, "you are speaking to Ruto, princess of the zora and Sage of Water."

"And my fiancé, if I remember correctly," Link added, juggling the Sapphire with one hand. Ruto darted out one hand in an attempt to snatch it from his grasp, but he pulled it back.

"Link!" she complained, leaning forward to get her stone back, "give me that."

"Make me," he breathed. Ruto suddenly became aware of just how close she had gotten in her quest to recover her treasure. The princess leaned in that last inch and brushed her lips against his. The instant his eyes drifted closed, Ruto snatched the stone from his hand and leapt to her feet.

Link's eyes snapped open as her weight left. "Give me that," he said, in a growl that sounded strange form a child's mouth. Ruto allowed a grin to spread across her lips.

"Catch me then," she taunted, running in the opposite direction. Link got to his feet and began to chase her, smile spreading across his face.

Ruto's delighted laughter echoed as she ran through passages and rooms, feet slapping in rhythm as she fled her pursuer.

"Got you!" Link cried as he tackled her. Ruto attempted to wiggle out of his grasp before she gave up.

"You win," she said, heaving a dramatic sigh. She uncurled her fin from around the Zora's Sapphire and gently deposited it in his outstretched hands. Link tucked the stone into his pouch and lay down beside her.

"How'd you remember?" she asked him.

Link shrugged. "I'm not sure," he mused, "I guess you're just that important."

Ruto smiled and curled her fingers with his.

**Ruto's song: "Listen to your heart" by DHT(the non-techno version)**


	9. Saria

**HOLY COW! This story got over one thousand hits! *faints in happiness* Anyway, here's the daily update of Link's girls.  
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><p>Link and Saria<p>

Worth the wait

Link was sitting on the balcony outside his house, dangling his legs over the edge and staring into the forest with a melancholy expression.

"Was it hard?" Saria asked, climbing up and sitting next to him.

"Huh?" Link asked shaking himself out of the trance he'd fallen into. "What?"

"Giving it up," she clarified, "putting the sword back and returning here."

Link gaped at the green-haired girl. "How do you know about that?" he asked.

Saria laughed. "I'm a Sage," she explained, "we kept our memories to prevent it from happening again."

Link nodded and resumed gazing into the distance. For a time, neither said anything, content to sit in silence.

"Come with me," Saria ordered abruptly, getting to her feet and tugging on his sleeve. Link grumbled, but obeyed, following her onto the bridge where she had said goodbye when he left for his journey. She tugged him across the planks until they reached the arch that led to Hyrule field.

"I learned some things while I was in the Sacred Realm," Saria told him, "among them, the fact that Kokiri can get older."

Link's eyes widened. "How?" he asked.

"The magic of the forest keeps us eternal children," she explained, "so if someone leaves, the forest loses its hold and he will begin aging at a normal rate." She glanced sideways at him. "And once the magic has been dispelled, it will never return."

"So I'll age," Link surmised, shoulders slumping.

Saria stepped forward, and then turned to face him, holding out a hand. "Not alone?" she said. It was a statement, but she phrased it as a question, or an offer, almost seeking his permission.

"You're sure?" he asked.

Her hand found his and she pulled him with her through the archway, emerging into the bright sunlight of Hyrule field.

"Never surer," she said, nestling into him. Link put his arms around her, marveling that this girl would give up immortality for him. He freed a hand and tilted her chin up, gazing into blue eyes. Slowly, giving her time to pull away, he lowered his head and kissed her.

"What are you doing!" exclaimed a familiar voice.

Neither of them paid any attention until a nut hit the back of Link's head. He spun around, letting go of Saria in favor of rubbing the back of his head.

Mido was standing there, another nut prepped to throw. "How dare you?" he cried, "You drag Saria out of the forest and assault her! You're lucky she didn't turn to dust!"

Saria giggled. "Mido, in case you didn't notice, I dragged him out here, and I had no intention of stopping him when he 'assaulted' me."

Mido just stood there open-mouthed. Link wished he had a picto-box to capture the bully's expression, but sadly they wouldn't be invented for another five years.

Ignoring the shocked boy, Link turned back to Saria. "Marry me?" he asked.

She put her arms around his neck. "Someday," she told him, and met his lips with hers.

Behind them, there was a thud as Mido hit the ground. He'd fainted dead away.

When the self-proclaimed leader regained consciousness, he was lying in his bed.

"Was it a dream? he wondered. He really hoped it was a dream, because then Saria wouldn't be leaving and he would still have a chance.

Someone giggled. "Hardly," Saria said. Mido turned his head to see the girl sitting on one of the treasure chests in his house. All except the one she was sitting on were open, but Mido ignored that for now.

"Link had to carry you back here," she told him, "he's outside right now, telling the others. I told him I'd join him as soon as you woke up."

"You stayed to watch over me?" Mido asked, quite flattered.

She nodded. "I would have done the same to any Kokiri," she told him before ducking out through the door frame.

Outside, Link was standing in the middle of a group of Kokiri, telling them what was happening. He'd gotten about as far as "leaving" before all havoc broke loose. Everyone was talking at once, babbling over each other, and on one could understand a word of what was being said. Saria sighed and wound carefully through the crowd to stand next to Link.

Someone noticed her and called out "Hey, it's Saria!" Saria was considered unofficial leader when Mido wasn't around and sometimes when he was, so everyone slowly fell silent, expecting clarification form her.

Saria turned to Link, "How far did you get?" she asked in an undertone.

"About to 'I am leaving'" he replied at the same volume. Saria nodded and turned to the assembled forest children.

"As you heard," she said, "Link is leaving the forest." This caused another hubbub, which she quickly quieted by raising a hand. "However, he will not be alone," she continued, "I am going with him."

"He's done something to her!" Screamed a voice from the back, "Saria would never do anything like this if she was herself!" The voice, unsurprisingly, belonged to Mido.

"We have two options," Link whispered in her ear, "Stay, and try to convince them we're not crazy, or run for the hills. Pick one."

A smile spread across Saria's face. "I pick option two," she whispered back.

Link laced their fingers together. "Let's go," he said. needing no further encouragement, the pair took off. the Kokiri were a bit slow to react to this new development, so by the time Mido shouted "get them!" they were already free of the crowd.

The pair raced across the forest, through tunnel, and across the bridge. they burst out once more into the bright sunlight of Hyrule Field and didn't stop until their legs gave out.

"Did you see their faces?" Saria asked, panting.

"Of course not," he said, "I was looking at you."

Saria rolled on her side and poked him. "Flatterer," she accused.

Link grinned and caught her wrist before she could poke him again. "Guilty as charged," he admitted.

**Saria's Song: "7 years and 50 days" by Groove Coverage**


	10. Tetra

**We're nearing the end. Only two chapters to go after this one.**

**This one originally wasn't going to have Link and Tetra in it at all, but Tetra, being a pirate, took over and put in the scene with the pictograph. Hope you like it.**

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><p>Link and Tetra<p>

Pictographs

"Hey guys!" Niko yelled, waving a piece of paper in the air, "We got a letter from the boss!"

Gonzo snatched the letter from Niko's hand and unfolded it. The other pirates crowded around, eager to hear from their missing boss. The letter in Gonzo's hand was addressed to "Gonzo, Mako, Niko, Nudge, Senza, and Zuko" in Tetra's distinctive handwriting. He opened it and began to read aloud.

_First off, I guess I should apologize for leaving without telling any of you, but it was a spur-of-the-moment decision._

_Second, I hope you aren't getting soft just because I'm granting you a short break. I'll be back soon enough, once the winter's over and the passes clear up again._

_As you may have guessed, I'm traveling with Link. He offered to show me the Great Sea and I accepted, so we're taking a tour. It's amazing, all the treasure you can find when you take your time to explore every nook and cranny. Who would've guessed that one island could hold so many secrets. Link has a lot of stories to tell._

_It's not dull either, monsters still roam the seas, but if you start worrying Gonzo, I'm going to kick your butt when I get back. Link does have a picto-box (again, the things he's found on his travels), so I have included a picture of us. Niko probably has it right now._

Gonzo looked down at the swabbie. Sure enough, Niko was holding a pictograph.

"Hand it over, Niko," he demanded. Reluctantly, Niko forked it over and Gonzo examined it. It was a pictograph of Link and Miss Tetra.

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><p>Link and Tetra were standing outside the house on Link's Oasis. Link had steered them there when a storm broke and they had run for the house, laughing as they were soaked. Now, dry and in a change of clothes, they were standing outside while Link set up a picto-box on the railing.<p>

"Why are we doing this again?" Tetra asked impatiently.

"So you can send a pictograph to your crew," Link explained, peering over the top of the box at her, "you wouldn't want them to worry, right"

Tetra rolled her eyes. "Yes, heaven forbid that my crew worries," she said sarcastically, "they'd probably worry even if I told them exactly where I was, big bunch of softies"

Link pushed a button on the side of the picto-box and rushed over to where she stood. "Smile," he ordered.

Tetra stuck her tongue out at him and bared her teeth at the picto-box. Link abruptly scooped her up into his arms, holding her bridal style.

"Link!" she exclaimed, squirming to get out of his grasp.

"That's my name," Link replied, grinning at her. She opened her mouth to make a retort, but the flash chose that moment to go off. Link put her back on her feet and hurried over to it.

A smile spread across his face at the picture and he turned the box around and showed it to her. She was glaring at him, arms crossed, looking stormy. He was grinning, supporting her easily.

Tetra glared at him. "Give me that," she ordered.

Link shook his head. "Nope."

"Give me that picto-box!" Tetra repeated. Link repeated his answer, so she had no choice but to chase him around the island until he pulled out his hookshot and grappled the tree on the cliff, yanking him out of her reach.

* * *

><p>Miss Tetra was looking rather angry, while Link was grinning like it was his birthday. Gonzo handed off the photograph to Mako and continued reading.<p>

_After I calmed down, I took another look at it and decide it's actually not that bad. It could be worse, after all, I could be wearing a dress. Speaking of that, we should put Link in a dress for that little stunt. He's reading over my shoulder right now, so he knows what's coming to him.  
><em>

_Crew, have a dress ready for Link when we get back. Captain's orders._

_We're visiting some friends Link met on his travels. We've gone to Dragon Roost and Windfall, and were on our way to Forest Haven when we got caught in a storm. Hence the letter and pictograph. That's Link's Oasis, in case you're wondering._

_Well, looks like the storm's clearing, so that's all for now. I'll try and write again soon._

_'Til then,_

_Captain Tetra_

_P.S. Somebody take the pictograph away from Zuko before it disappears to who-knows-where._

Gonzo looked around, spotting Zuko trying to sneak away with the pictograph clutched in one hand. He took four steps and caught the smaller pirate by the back of his shirt and took the pictograph away.

When Link and Miss Tetra came back, the pirates were waiting for them with a warm welcome and a green dress. Link was none too happy with his new attire, which he was forced to wear for three days. Tetra nearly fell over laughing when she saw him in a dress and quickly snapped a pictograph to join the other one, which had been permanently attached to the wall of her cabin.

**Tetra's Song: "Bad Boy" by Cascada**


	11. Zelda

**Wow, we're nearly to the end. This one was hard to write.  
><strong>

**I will give virtual cookies to whomever can figure out who will be the star of the next, and last, chapter.**

**Resi: she didn't let him, she _made_ him wear that dress.**

**Zelda12343: thank you.**

**Jazzmatazz2000: I wondered if anyone was actually paying attention to the song at the bottom, that made me smile.**

**And again, thank you to everyone who's reading this and especially those who reviewed.  
><strong>

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><p>Link and Zelda<p>

Years

Zelda stared out at Hyrule Field, ignoring the book in front of her. Link had left six years ago exactly now and she still regretted not stopping him.

*flashback*

Zelda hurried toward the drawbridge. She had come to a realization last night and she wanted to tell Link when there weren't ears everywhere. She spotted him standing by the drawbridge, tightening the saddle on Epona. Zelda waved as she hurried toward him, but he didn't see her.

She stopped with a jolt when she got close enough to see them properly. Link usually went for a morning ride through Hyrule Field, but today Epona was carrying things. Things for traveling.

"Why are you leaving?" she tried not to sound desperate, but some leaked through into her voice.

"There's something I need to do," he said, staring down at his feet, "Someone I need to find."

Zelda could feel the words bubbling up in her throat, but they died at the word 'someone'. She swallowed, forcing the words down. "Well, good luck then," she said quietly, unable to look at him.

"Thanks," he muttered. He swung up on Epona and she stepped aside to let him pass. Her eyes never left him until horse and hero disappeared over the horizon.

*end flashback*

She pretended that she was alright most of the time, hiding the hole in her heart behind a perfect smile and courtly manners. She missed him desperately, every single day, but she was starting to accept that he was never coming back.

Today, the sixth anniversary of his departure, she was determined to move on. She would forget him, she'd missed her chance on the drawbridge that day, and move on. But today, today she would remember him and mourn what could have been.

Fed up, Zelda stood, sending her chair backwards, and walked out of the room. She made her way to a window and climbed out quickly, settling on the blue-tiled roof. It was child's play for her to climb out here using the skills she'd learned as Sheik, and no one would find her here.

It had been their spot, hers and Link's. He was the only one who'd known about it and would always find her and calm her down when something upset her. Thinking of Link, the tears started to leak down her cheeks and this time, instead of swatting them angrily away, she let them flow, remembering all the times they'd had together.

One in particular stood out to her. It was right before she'd sent him back in time.

*flashback*

"Give me the Ocarina," she pleaded, "I will send you back to where you belong, to the people you belong with."

Link placed the blue instrument in her outstretched hand and curled his around it. "I'll always go back where I belong, I promise" he said.

*end flashback*

Zelda had been puzzled by the words at the time, but they were quickly clarified when he'd showed up in the castle courtyard. He'd simply smiled in response to her question of why he was here and said that she was here, so he belonged here.

The princess smiled at the memory, however, her peaceful moment was disturbed by someone calling her name. She sighed and wiped her cheeks quickly, making sure she looked alright.

That done, she crawled back in the window and dusted off her dress before starting toward the source of her name. It was the minister of protocol, a stuffy, rather mousy man who couldn't stand things being the least bit improper.

"Zelda!' he exclaimed, "what have you been doing, there is dirt on the right shoulder of your gown!" his tone indicated that this was a catasrophe and must be fixed immediately. Zelda brushed the right shoulder of her dress and mentally strangled the minister.

"What is it?" she said in her most polite voice.

"there is a visitor in the throne room," he squeaked, "and your father wants you there!"

"very well," Zelda said. She spun on her heel and strode in the direction of the throne room. She was seriously tempted to break into a run, just to see how the minister would react, but squelched the urge. She made it to the throne room in a neat and orderly fashion and entered to stand on the right of her father's throne.

Before she could say anything, the doors at the end of the hall swung open and a clocked figure walked through. He stopped at the appropriate ten paces from her father's throne and bent down on one knee.

"Your majesties," he began, "I have traveled over the length and breadth of the continent and then beyond. I have seen almost everything, but there is one thing I have not found in all my travels."

"What might that be?" the king asked, curious.

"Love," the stranger replied, "i have met many girls, but none compare to the Princess of Hyrule.

"You wish to court my daughter," the king said.

"If she will have me," he replied.

"Rise and let us see your face," the king ordered. The stranger did as he was bid, reveling cerulean eyes and dirty blonde hair that were very familiar to the princess.

"Link!" the yell came from Zelda, who ran down the stairs toward him. Link spread his arms for a hug, but Zelda had other ideas. She pulled back her fist and swung, socking the hero in the jaw.

Link rubbed his jaw. "Hello to you too, princess," he said. Zelda flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around him tightly, holding on to prevent him running away again.

"I missed you," she sniffled. Link returned the embrace. "I missed you too," he whispered.

A small ball of light flew out of Link's sleeve and bounced up and down in the air.

"I hate to intrude on your moment," Navi said, "but I think you gave that man a heart attack."

Zelda ignored the fairy, pulling back to look Link in the eyes. "I love you," she said, "I was going to tell you the day you left but you said you had to find someone and I was worried and..." He stopped her with a finger on her lips.

"I was going to find Navi," he told her, "so there was no reason to be worried and I love you too."

A broad smile spread across Zelda's face and she moved her arms until they were linked around his neck. She pulled gently, but Link surprised her. He dipped her in front of the entire court and kissed her.

"Father," Zelda called once they parted for air, "I think I've found the one."

**Zelda's Song: "What hurts the most" by Cascada.**


	12. Endings

Dark

Endings

Dark sat up with a jolt, panting as though he'd just run the length of this accursed temple three times. He stared into the misty water surrounding the tree he was currently slumped against, mind racing. The last thing he remembered he'd been being thrown out of, and sneaking into, a meeting of fangirls who were discussing their love interest.

The shadow shook his head, dispelling such thoughts, and stood, stretching. There really wasn't much use wondering while he was trapped in here. He concentrated on the walls, hoping they would show something other than the endless misty landscape he was constantly subjected to, but as always they remained stubbornly firm.

Dark growled and settled back in his spot. He really had nothing better to do, so he let his thoughts go over the dream. It was the most interesting dream he'd had in quite some time.

"Let's see," he mused aloud, "I was in a meeting of fangirls who were discussing their love interest. I think it was Link, though I can't see why. If it was Link, I don't know why I was there, since I pretty much hate his guts, but it was a dream, so anything goes.

I got to read the one-shots being written for the girls, as a peace offering, I guess. They were sickeningly sweet and hopelessly happy," he made a face at the very thought, "Who would want to read such utter nonsense?"

The shadow shrugged. "I think the leader of the meeting was talking about lengthening one," he told the empty room, "but only if something she called 'reviewers' were interested. What in Din's name is a 'reviewer'?"

As he expected, the mist made no response. He kicked the inch deep water in frustration, then took deep breaths to calm himself. The last time he'd lost his temper, he'd broken both hands.

"Speaking of 'reviewers'," Dark chuckled at his use of the new word, "she said that she'd like to know what people thought of them. If she wanted my opinion, she could've just asked. I would have told her to write something better. Preferably where I was the star and it was less 'yay we are happy and in love' and mush like that."

"There was a list, too," he informed the illusions, "it had a few names, Resi, I think, and-was there another? No, I don't think so. Those were the people who got cookies, apparently.

Pah! Cookies are a worthless bribe. I wouldn't touch a cookie if my life depended on it. I'd much rather get a nice sword or maybe a new weapon. Sugar is useless, just raises blood pressure."

He let out a laugh. "Look at me, I'm ranting about sugar now. Next thing you know, I'll be down to my underwear, in the tree, convinced I'm a monkey." He cracked a smile at his own joke, twisted though it was.

He leapt to his feet as the door on the far side of the room, rusted from long disuse, began to creak open. Dark sprang into his tree, hiding from the intruder.

"Look," he whispered as a flash of blue cloth and a gleam of steel showed under the rising door, "I'm a monkey."

**Dark's Song: "Shattered" by OAR  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Sorry this one is so short. There's only so long you can keep someone ranting to an empty room.<strong>

**It's been quite a ride and I hope you enjoyed it. If I've challenged your perceptions of the LoZ characters, then I've succeeded in what I set out to do. **

**Everything Dark said was true, including the bit about lengthening one and wanting to hear what you thought. Tell me if/why you liked them (eg. it made you pause and think, or made you see that girl in a different light). There's going to be a poll, so please vote.  
><strong>

**Obviously, I couldn't have done it without all my amazing reviewers. Special thanks go to Resiviechsi, msfcatlover, and Jazzmatazz2000 for reviewing every chapter.**

**BTW, Jazz, I don't really have a favorite. I'm not fond of Ilia, but I don't have one girl whom I say "this is the only one for Link". So I really don't know.  
><strong>

**Well, tempus fugit and this was Insane, Certifiably.  
><strong>


End file.
